A Dictionary of Chemical T erm s. By J a m e s F . C o u c h . iv + 204 pp. 4 3/ i X 6 3A in. D. V an N ostrand Co., N ew York, 1920. Price, $2.50 net.
In chem istry th e word “ dictionary” im m ediately suggests a work in several volumes—in reality an encyclopedia—on the plan of W atts or Thorpe. I t m ay be for this reason th a t the need for a true chemical dictionary, or word book, has not been sufficiently appreciated, although surely it m ust have been obvious enough. I t is perfectly true, as the au th o r states in his preface, th a t chem istry has developed a complex and sc a t
tered terminology and th a t it is often difficult, sometimes alm ost impossible, to find th e meaning of a term .
This is th e need which the book is intended to meet. In scope it is quite different from the "Condensed Chemical Dic
tionary.” I t includes the elements b u t not chemical compounds, except sporadically. Its definitions, approxim ately 3000 in number, relate chiefly to chemical and physical phenomena and properties, reactions, laws, class names of compounds, and the like.
One cannot conscientiously call M r. C ouch’s interesting little work a good dictionary. T he essence of dictionary m ak
ing is clear, concise, and accurate definition, and this is lacking.
A single example will show w hat is m eant: hydroxide is defined as “a compound of a m etal derived from w ater by replacem ent of one or more hydrogens by an equivalent q u an tity of element, except th a t one molecule of w ater furnishes b u t one atom of hydrogen.” T he result in m any cases is a statem en t th a t is too narrow or too broad, confused, or even flatly wrong. There is no distinction between definitions and encyclopedic informa
tion. T he book represents no definite standards of nomen
clature. There is a curious sprinkling of term s from descrip
tive botany which are out of harm ony w ith the rest of the vocabu
lary. And, of course, with such a small num ber of term s, the claim for completeness is not ju stified : even so common a word as "reag en t” is n o t defined.
Nevertheless, the author has gathered together information not to be found in any other one book or, w ith readiness, any
where else. T he handy pocket size, clear type, and flexible binding are sure to find favor. A u s t i n M . P a t t e r s o n
The C hem istry and Technology of the Diazo-Compounds.
By J. C. Ca in. 2nd edition, xi 4- 199 pp. Longmans, Green & Co., New Y ork, 1920. Price, S4.20.
T he diazo-compounds are the factotum s am ong organic substances. T hey will m ake you anything in reason if you will but give them suitable m aterial from which to fashion w hat you w ant; indeed their energy is so ab u n d an t th a t if th ey are isolated and thus deprived of the chance of producing something else, they blow up.
They are a milestone to the stu d en t of organic chem istry, who feels th a t he is really m astering the subtilties of the science when he learns of the ten m ajor reactions of these substances, and he feels th a t he is m ature enough to take his placevtmong the chosen when he finds himself able to follow th e intricacies of the great controversy regarding the constitution of these bodies. L ater in his career, th e m ature organic chem ist turns ever again to this group, because of this interest; it is to him as a volume of brilliant, beautifully fashioned sketches is to the stu d en t of literature.
Because the reactiv ity of these substances makes them a fascinating stu d y and confers on them a great technical impor
tance, it is desirable to have brought together in a condensed form all the essential facts ab o u t them, as in C ain's book.
The title of th e new edition promises th a t th e technology of the diazo-compounds will receive atten tio n in th e text. This promise is fulfilled in a measure only. I t is tru e th a t references
are given to th e literature of the commercial application of the reactions of the group, b u t th a t fact hardly w arrants th e change in title, more especially as the treatm en t is purely theoretical, as it should be in a book of this kind, and therefore there is n o th ing to emphasize the technically valuable from the technically useless.
There can be no serious quarrel w ith th e arrangem ent of th e subject m a tte r of the book except, perhaps, th e inclusion of the paragraph on the explosibility of dry diazo-compounds in the chapter on the mechanism of th e diazotization process. As a suggestion, th e reviewer would like to p o in t o u t th a t a c h art or series of charts showing the m any transform ations described in th e text would be a very g reat help in threading one's way through the maze. Semmler has used this method to great a d vantage in his volumes on the chem istry of the ethereal oils, in order to sum marize the m ultitudinous reactions characteristic of such a substance as pinene or camphor.
These com m ents are n o t intended to cast any doubt on the tr u th th a t this little book is one th a t every stu d e n t of organic chem istry should know well enough to be able to use when neces
sary. I t is a very real loss th a t D r. C ain’s death makes it im possible for us to have a fuller discussion of his theory of the stru ctu re of these compounds. T his theory is the m ost logical one so far advanced, and th e place it occupies in the book, in consequence of D r. C ain’s modesty, does n o t emphasize suffi
ciently its value, and it will be impossible for anybody to give us w hat its originator could have done. R. E. Rose
Chem istry of P ulp and P ap er M aking. By E d w i n S u t e r - m e i s t e r . vii + 479 pp. John W iley & Sons, Inc., New Y ork; Chapm an & Hall, L td., London, 1920. Price, $6.00 postpaid (33s. net).
T his book n o t only discusses the chem istry of pulp and paper, b u t gives sh o rt descriptions of practically all th e mechanical a p p aratu s and operations involved. In general th e arrangem ent follows the usual outline of a book on paper making. A chapter on printing is an innovation which should be valuable for book mills.
In his review of cellulose properties and paper-m aking fibers, th e au th o r has done an excellent piece of work, although nothing particularly new is presented. There is ju s t ab o u t enough said for th e paper-mill chemist, and the m a tte r is clearly stated and well coordinated. Probably the m ost valuable m aterial in these chapters is the collection of d a ta on woods. This includes a study of woods available for paper making, their relative value for this purpose, the lengths of fiber produced, specific weights of wood and chips, moisture content, etc.
The chapter on rags, straw , esparto, and w aste paper is probably the least valuable in the book. The au th o r shows only a surface acquaintance w ith these subjects. F or example, in the recovery of w aste paper, only printed paper is spoken of, and th e d a ta are apparently obtained from machine m anufacturers.
The outstanding feature of the work on pulp m anufacture is th e description and study of the soda cook. T he au th o r shows a very intim ate knowledge of this subject and presents m any valuable d a ta of his own. H e is able, therefore, to discuss the results of other investigators and come to a definite conclusion as to the best methods of operation. The description of sulfate and sulfite cooks is also good. On the several processes m any im portant d a ta are lacking, for example, th e mass action laws involved in causticizing, the furnace conditions desirable in th e recovery of sulfate liquor, and the application of the gas laws in th e making and recovery of sulfite acid. These are d a ta which are not available in any book, b u t which would be a boon to the industry.
584 T E E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D E N G I N E E R I N G C E E M I S T R Y Vol. 13, No. 6 T he chapter on bleaching gives good descriptions of bleaching
processes as commercially carried out, and some d a ta regarding best conditions of operation, m ostly obtained from other investi
gators and showing widely varying results. U nfortunately, th e fundam ental factors of th e action, such as concentration, tem perature, and agitation, are n o t clearly brought out. T he sam e criticism m ay be made of th e chapters on sizing, loading, and coloring. A great m any very interesting d a ta arc presented, b u t insufficient inform ation is available for either th e au th o r or reader to come to definite conclusions. T his criticism can be made of every book published on th e subject, and in m any places the au th o r has shown distin ct im provem ent over older books.
T he chapter on coating is a distinct addition to th e literatu re of paper chem istry. T h e work on w ater, while n o t new, is a valuable p a rt of the book. T he chapters on pulp and paper testing bring together into a comprehensive whole th e various m ethods which are in common use throughout th e industry.
Summing up, the book is particularly valuable for the dis
cussions on soda cooking, the m anufacture of book and coated paper, and for th e collections of tables and constants applying to all branches of th e industry. I t would be much more valuable
—and th is is tru e of practically all books on pulp and paper— if the various applications of chem istry and engineering were dis
cussed w ith regard to fundam ental science as applied to com
mercial operation. H . H . H a n s o n
The New Stone Age. B y H a r r i s o n E. H o w e , xvii + 289 pp. C entury Co., New Y ork, 1921. Price, $5.00.
In his introduction D r. Howe states th a t he has a ttem p ted to tell his sto ry in "everyday language.” This expression is vague because every group of persons has a different everyday language.
Of course one would n o t expect such a book to be w ritten in the arg o t of th e streets, b u t th e language used is th e language of th e scientist ra th e r th a n th a t of more ordinary men. T h a t is to say, the au th o r has assum ed a larger acquaintance w ith scientific term s and engineering m ethods th a n is possessed by the average reader. F urtherm ore, in telling the story, num erous technical details have been included which are unnecessarily com plicated for the general reader and n o t complete enough for the engineer.
The book will be read w ith interest, however, b y b o th these classes because it is readable, and because it covers th e subject in a scholarly m anner. T he historical chapter m ight have been expanded w ith advantage. W hen a story is to be told one wishes to learn a b o u t the beginning, an d this p a rt has been tre a te d quite briefly. I t is to men like th e present a u th o r th a t th e world looks for accurate inform ation on the developm ent of scientific pro
cesses, an d it would appear th a t m ore emphasis m ight be laid upon this phase of the subject.
The au th o r is a t his best when he w rites a b o u t concrete as a stru c tu ra l m aterial. H e is evidently m ore a t hom e here th an he is in the m anufacture of cem ent, b u t even in this account the criticism made above seems to hold. Several tables of engineer
ing d a ta are given, b u t no a tte m p t is m ade to explain them ; while on the o th er hand, th e a u th o r expressly disclaims the intention of making every nian his own concrete engineer.
A good description is given of th e cem ent gun an d its use, w ith possible applications of this m ethod of distribution, but when th e au th o r essays to w rite of a r t in concrete he is evidently on unfam iliar ground. I t is, of course, tru e th a t fine decorative works can be and have been produced in concrete, b u t to suppose th a t a r t consists in using a colored aggregate or in inlaying tiles is to reduce th e m atter to an absurdity. In fact, a fine model would usually4 appear to much greater advantage in the quiet gray of the n atu ral cement th a n if it were sprinkled w ith marble chips, however brilliant. E ven if the inlaid tiles should be beautiful, as m any are, the a r t of their use is their own an d does n o t belong to the cem ent in which they are set.
The work gives the im pression of having been ru n oil hastily.
Besides several typographical errors, there is a curious lack of
uniform ity in expression. Sometimes we read of "alum ina”
and again of "alum inium oxide,” once even of "alum ina oxide.”
" Iro n oxide” an d "ferric oxide” are used interchangeably, as also are "silicon oxide” and "silica,” on th e sam e page. "Calcium alum ínate” and "alu m ín ate of lim e” are referred to, and the phrase "th e oxides of calcium alum ina and silica” is certainly n o t w hat the au th o r intended to say. I t is ra th e r surprising also to find one w ith the rep u tatio n of D r. Howe statin g th a t "ferric oxide is believed to a c t sim ilarly on alum ina in prom oting the com bination of silica an d lim e.”
W ith o u t appearing to be captious it m ay be said th a t inac
curacies such as those quoted m ar the pleasure of reading an interesting and useful book, a n d one is forced unwillingly to the conclusion th a t th e w ork has been prepared in a hurry.
C h a s . F . B i n n s
V itam ines—E ssential Food Factors. B y B e n j a m i n H a r r o w , P h . D . xi + 219 pp. F . P . D u tto n & C o ., New York, 1921.
Price, $2.50 net.
There are few recent developm ents in science which have appealed so strongly to the general public as the discovery of the class of substances now known as vitamines. Magazine and new spaper articles on vitam ines have recently appeared with increasing frequency, and now we have a book which treats th e subject from th e popular standpoint. In th e present case th e a u th o r begins w ith the m ost elem entary principles of nu
trition. T he analogy between the body an d a furnace is first pointed out, an d from th is th e expression of food values in terms of calories is developed. T hen follow chapters dealing with carbohydrates, fats an d proteins, mineral m atter, w ater and oxygen, amino-acids, glycogen o r anim al starch , soap, and glycerol. This preparation of the reader for an understanding of th e conception of vitam ines occupies a b o u t one-half of the book, and is presented in such simple language th a t a person of very lim ited previous training should be able to obtain a clear idea of th e subject
In regard to the developm ent of th e conception of vitamines, the au th o r follows th e historical sequence and presents first the work of H opkins on milk. This m akes it necessary to define the name vitam ine before th e work of F u n k o r th a t of any other investigator of beri beri is mentioned. A lthough th e experi
m ents of Hopkins and of others an ted a te those of Funk, it is to th e la tte r th a t special credit is due for focusing th e a tten tio n of the scientific world upon the rem arkable properties of these hitherto unrecognized food constituents and th eir intim ate con
nection w ith certain nutritio n al diseases. A presentation of the subject from this stan d p o in t would have a stronger public appeal.
This book h as been w ritten particularly for th e benefit of those who are called upon to select th e dietary of families or other groups of individuals. T he last ch ap ter contains many well-chosen points on the practical application of th e knowledge which has been gained in regard to vitam ines. In th is connec
tion, however, a tten tio n should be called to one statem ent which is n o t in harm ony w ith w hat is generally considered to be the safer practice. On page 170 it is sta te d th a t, whenever possible, milk should be taken in a fresh unheated condition.
This, of course, is tru e from th e standpoint of its content of vitam ines, b u t th e possibility of milk-borne infections, due to failure to pasteurize, is of so much more im portance th a n loss of nutritional, value resulting from pasteurization t h a t this recom
m endation should certainly n o t be m ade w ithout proper refer
ence to the positive source of danger in the consum ption of raw
milk. A t h e r t o n S e i d e i . l
Les É th ers Cellulosiques; P rem ière P a rtie , L es É th ers M inéraux de la Cellulose; Tom e I, La N itrocellulose e t le Celluloid.
By A n d r é D u b o s c . 344 pp. A.-D. Cillard, 49, R ue des Vinaigriers, Paris.
T his book is Volume I of th e first p a rt of w h a t is apparently planned to be a complete and au th o ritativ e work on the cellulose
June, 1921 T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D E N G I N E E R I N G C H E M I S T R Y 585 esters. Nitrocellulose, as the m ost im p o rtan t ester of cellulose,
is naturally considered first, and th e present volum e takes the discussion through th e bleaching of th e nitrocellulose. The book opens w ith a brief historical outline of th e developm ent of celluloid, and this is followed w ith a consideration of its constitution and properties, b o th physical and chemical.
The raw m aterials are next discussed in considerable detail.
N itric acid, sulfuric acid, and alcohol are n o t considered because they are treated so well in oth er places. In considering cellu
lose, 35 pages are devoted to an excellent sum m ary an d dis
cussion of th e various constitutional formulas which have been proposed for cellulose, including th a t of B arthelm y published in 1917. T his is adm irable as far as i t goes, b u t th e recent work of D enham and W oodhouse, of Pictet, of Hess, an d of H ibbert, have added much to our knowledge since th a t time. In the next 46 pages w h at is known to-day a b o u t cotton is well sum marized, including its form ation in n atu re, its constitution, composition, physical, chemical an d microscopic properties, and methods of purification. T he last are given in considerable detail. Linters an d special papers are also considered as cellulosic raw m aterials. T he section closes w ith a discussion of camphor.
The rest of th e present volum e (210 pages) is devoted to a general consideration of th e preparation of nitrocellulose for celluloid m anufacture. N itratio n is first presented in a general way, m any proposed acid m ixtures an d m ethods of calculating theoretical m ixtures being cited. Fifteen m ethods of n itratio n which have actually been in commercial operation are discussed in considerable detail, often w ith descriptions of th e ap p aratu s giving dimensions an d capacities. A valuable feature of the book is th a t it is m ore th a n a mere sum m arized compilation of previous publications, in t h a t th e m erits an d defects of each method are pointed out. T he au th o r concludes th is ch ap ter by presenting th e two m ethods which in his opinion are the only ones giving entire satisfaction. T he sam e so rt of detailed consideration of stabilization, washing, pulping, and bleaching completes th e present volume.
One can n o t help being im pressed w ith th e thoroughness w ith which th e subject m atter is presented. On this account it is the more regrettable th a t no references to th e literatu re are given, nor is a bibliography of any sort included. One misses also illustrations which would ad d so much to th e description of the various pieces of ap p aratu s. In spite of this lack of certain
One can n o t help being im pressed w ith th e thoroughness w ith which th e subject m atter is presented. On this account it is the more regrettable th a t no references to th e literatu re are given, nor is a bibliography of any sort included. One misses also illustrations which would ad d so much to th e description of the various pieces of ap p aratu s. In spite of this lack of certain